Under 14A Division 4 2011/12 Match Reports

League at home to Blarney United A on Sunday 13th MAy 2012 Midleton A 3 Blarney United A 1 Midleton A U14 End Season With A Win Over Blarney Utd Midleton 'A' finished a tough season with a moral boosting win over Blarney Utd A. With a strong breeze blowing it was Midleton A who were able to make the most of the conditions and Barney A spent most of the game defending against a fast paced Midleton strike force. With Blarney A having the wind behind them in the first half it was expected that Midleton A would have a lot of defending to do, but with a dominant back four and good running on the wings from Sean O'Meara and David Jalill all the pressure was coming from Midleton A. As early as the 7th minute, O'Meara won a throw on the right wing and a quick throw found Cameron Smyth who was excellent throughout the match. Smyth made a run to the heart of the defence and passed through to Barry Kenneally who placed the ball past the keep into the bottom corner for a deserved lead. Midleton A continued to dominate the game but were unable to increase their lead. As the first half came to a close Blarney Utd started to push forward and won a corner in the last minute. A good corner led to commotion in the defence and the ball was tapped in from six yards to make it 1-1 at half time.

The second half was completely dominated by Midleton A. With a strong wind against them Blarney Utd A were under a lot of pressure and with the speed and strength of Cameron Smyth up front the chances were starting to pile up. It was only a matter of time before Smyth got the goal his hard work deserved. On the 50th minute, a good through ball found Smyth one-on-one with the keeper and after an initial save Smyth picked up the rebound and slotted it home. Midleton A pushed on from this and the good work of Cathal Gunning, Sean O'Meara and Barry Kenneally in Midfield was ensuring that the chances continued to come with both Conor Tynan and Dylan Hallinan going close. The third goal for Midleton A came on the 68th minute when a poor kick out was snapped up by Gunning who hit it first time from 30 yards into the top corner.

The game finished with Midleton A enjoying the last few minutes of the season playing some good football and no doubt looking forward to the summer break. Well done Lads!

League away to Churchvilla on Saturday 3rd March Churchvilla 4 Midleton ‘A’ 0 Midleton ‘A’ Lose Out to Strong Churchvilla On a windy Sunday morning with a poor pitch and very long grass there was little soccer played with the long ball approach favoured by Churchvilla.

Churchvilla set out their stall with a high back four that ensured that all the players were cramped into the middle third of the pitch. The result was a series of long high balls in the hope of catching the Midleton defence off guard. Midleton ‘A’ worked hard to play the ball on the ground but with the ball barely travelling a few yards before it got stuck in the grass the result was a poor game of soccer. The first half was non-eventful until another high ball into the Midleton ‘A’ box led to a soft penalty against Midleton for a dubious push by the centre half. The spot kick was well placed and Churchvilla were 1-0 up at half time.

The second half started the same and it took a mix up on 55 minutes between the Midleton ‘A’ left back and the Keeper who both went for the same ball and both missed it. The free ball was picked up by Churchvilla who ran the ball into the open goal. Midleton ‘A’ pushed on and made several changes to freshen things up but could not get a breakthrough with Churchvilla having six players in defence. After 63 minutes the only real piece of play from Churchvilla got one of their players free down the left from a throw and some poor tackling enabled the winger to go all the way through and slot the ball home at the near post.

This goal took the stuffing out of Midleton ‘A’ and in the final minute another defensive error left Churchvilla with a free shot on goal from the 18 yard line and it was well finished in off the crossbar. The result is a setback for the Midleton ‘A’ boys who had won their previous two games, but with such a poor pitch and no room to play any type of positive soccer it is a game that is best forgotten.

League at home to Corkbeg on Tuesday 21st February Midleton 3 Corkbeg 2 Midleton A U14 Win Local Derby Under Floodlights Midleton 'A' were holding a special floodlit game to promote the new floodlights in place at Knockgriffin this season. With local opposition from Corkbeg there was great excitement in the air and only the poor weather conditions could dampen the spirit of the two teams.

The game got off to a fast start, but with a cross wind making things difficult there was little between the teams. Corkbeg eventually got on top and the lack of a game since early January showed in the Midleton ‘A’ team. It was the early dominance that led to the first goal with Corkbeg forcing a corner and when no one cleared there was an easy tap in from 6 yards to put the visitors in front.

Midleton ‘A’ however, fought back and with a strong performance in Midfield from Kevin Mulcahy they started to put Corkbeg under pressure. This work rate spread through the team and when Cameron Smyth chased a hopeful ball down the left wing, he managed to win the ball and get it to Mulcahy who passed to Conor Evans. Evans did some great work to create an opening and eventually passed the ball out wide to Cian Walsh who smashed it home from 20 yards.

This spurred on Midleton ‘A’ and they started to dominate the midfield and with some excellent defending from Pat Horgan, Sean O’Meara in the centre and Dylan Wright and Owen Cashman at full back, Corkbeg could only knock the ball over the top which was easily cleared by the impressive Conor White in goal.

On 28 minutes, Midleton ‘A’ struck from long range when Mulcahy picked up the ball in midfield, strode forward and hit a screamer from all of 30 yards that floated above and beyond the Corkbeg Keeper. It finished 2-1 to Midleton ‘A’ at half time.

The second half started with Corkbeg pushing hard with the wind in their favour and the misty rain making life difficult for the Midleton ‘A’ back line. With the Midleton ‘A’ midfield dropping back to cover it was left to Corkbeg to shoot from distance and after 55 minutes this resulted in a high ball beating everyone to level the game.

With 15 minutes left the Midleton ‘A’ lads were not ready to give up and started to push out of defence and put Corkbeg in trouble. After a few half chances it was some good work up front from Smyth and Barry Kenneally that managed to win the ball. Smyth passed it back to the edge of the box for Kevin Daly and the left winger hit it low and hard. With a strong deflection the ball spun away from the Keeper and Midleton ‘A’ were back in front.

It was a tense last 10 minutes and Midleton ‘A’ had to work hard in defence. With Conor Meade, David Jalill, Cillian Brouder, Eollann Shanahan and Dylan Hallinan coming on for a tying Midleton team they managed to keep Corkbeg at bay. Eventually the final whistle blew and it was an excellent win against a tough team for the Midleton ‘A’ lads that will give them hope of a top three finish this season. Report by Colm Smyth.

League away to Leeds on Saturday 7th January Leeds 1 Midleton A 2 Scorers - Barry Kenneally and Kevin Daly Midleton U14A Win Away to Leeds Midleton U14A travelled to Leeds Park to take on a strong Leeds outfit that was third in the league. The game got off to a bad start for Midleton A with a soft penalty given after 3 minutes which was well finished to give Leeds the lead.

However, Midleton A held their shape and resolve and slowly started to dominate in midfield. After 20 minutes, Midleton A got a penalty of their own, after a trip on the edge of the box but it was pulled wide by Cameron Smyth. However, the team rallied well after this set back and held firm until half-time.

After the break Midleton A continued to work hard as a team and the introduction of Conor Meade and David Jalill in Midfield added some fresh legs as the game opened up.

On 55 minutes good play from the impressive Kevin Mulcahy put through Cameron Smyth on the right of the box and his shot was deflected to Barry Kenneally in front of goal and he finished well from close range. With the game very tight Conor White made a great save after a Leeds shot hit the bar and fell to their striker six yards out. White recovered well and bravely blocked the rebound to keep the impetus with Midleton A.

This gave Midleton A a real boost and Mulcahy and Meade continued to push forward on the left of midfield. It was from here that Mulcahy again put in a cross from the left that was flicked on by Smyth to Kevin Daly at the back post who had an easy tap in. This gave Midleton A a deserved lead.

With 15 minutes to go Leeds started to push forward and Smyth and Mulcahy were both brought back to protect the defence. They both made several interceptions in the final minutes that kept Leeds at bay and Midleton A held on for a great win away from home. Report by Colm Smyth.

League at home to Carrigtwohill United on Sunday 11th December Midleton 1 Carrigtwohill United 4 A gripping game of soccer for 62 mins of the 70 mins with both sides having their chances. Then in the last few minutes the heavy ground took its tool and Carrigtwohill won through. A tight first half was marked by a couple of brilliant saves from Conor White in the Midleton A goal and both sides had chances that needed better finishing. However it was 0-0 at half time.

The second half continued in the same vein with both sides pushing hard but it looked like it would end 0-0 and this would have been a fair result. However, Carrigtwohill kept pushing and a great dribble down the left wing by their number 8 went all the way and he toe poked it in at the near post.

Midleton A were not to be beaten though and great work down the left wing by Cameron Smyth led to a cross that was bundled in by Xavier at the near post. It looked like this might be it but Carrigtwohill continued to break at will and a couple of high balls into the box created confusion and the rebounds fell to Carrig, they were 3-1 up with 4 minutes. The final goal came from a 30 yard free that hit the roof of the net and Carrigtwohill went home victorious.

League at home to Churchvilla on Sunday 2nd October Midleton 2 Churchvilla 4 Midleton A fall short against Churchvilla. In a pulsating game played in continuous rain, the U14 A team narrowly lost out to Churchvilla.

With both teams evenly matched over the first 20 minutes it took a great bit of work from Cameron Smyth to open up the Churchvilla defence. After a long clearance from David Jalil in the Midleton A defence Smyth chased the ball down the left, beat two defenders and calmly slid the ball across the goal for Barry Kenneally to score from close range. However, the lead did not last long and within 2 minutes Churchvilla had struck back after a mix up in the Midleton A defence which let Churchvilla find space on the edge of the box and they shot into the far corner from 15 yards. Midleton A continued to push forward and on the stroke of half time Kevin Mulcahy, who was having another good game in Midfield, latched on to a loose ball and crossed from the by-line to Kenneally at the back post and he finished with a great header into the corner.

After half time Churchvilla made a few changes that brought additional pace up front and this put Midleton A under pressure. On 43 minutes the ball was played across the box and was eventually controlled by a Churchvilla player who fired in a low shot to make it 2-2.

The match continued to ebb and flow with both sides coming close and the combination of Conor Meade; Sean O'Meara, Kevin Daly and Mulcahy in Midfield was producing some good possession that allowed Smyth and Kenneally up front to put Churchvilla under pressure. However their defence held firm and it was Churchvilla who got the break on 50 minutes when a breaking ball outside the box was sent flying high into the Midleton A net giving Conor Evans no chance of reaching it. Midleton A fought back and almost got on even terms with more good work from Mulcahy and O'Meara down the right, but the Churchvilla defence did a good job and the final ball to Smyth, who again worked hard all through the game, was cut out on several occasions.

The final goal for Churchvilla came on 60 minutes when a hopeful ball up front was deflected into the box and the Midleton A keeper was beaten to the ball as it was headed in from 8 yards. The Churchvilla player was clearly off side when the initial ball was played but the ref let it stand and the final result stood at 2-4 to Churchvilla. The quality of the Midleton A goals and the good work all through the team deserved more out of the game and they were unfortunate not to get a draw. Report by Colm Smyth.

National Cup at home to Blarney United on 25th September Midleton A 0 Blarney United 4 Midleton A lose to Blarney in National Cup. It was the first round of the National Cup and Midleton A from Division 4 were drawn against Blarney United, unbeaten in Division 1.

With a tough match in prospect the team needed a strong performance from everyone and although the score line suggests otherwise, it was a hard fought contest throughout and one that shows Midleton A are improving every week. Midleton A got off to a great start and controlled the game for the first 10 minutes. However on 13 minutes Blarney got a rare cross in from the left and it was side footed home at the near post. The remainder of the first half was strongly fought by Midleton A and they just lacked the final through ball to create a clear chance.

After half time Blarney came into the game and their superior size started to have an effect. On 42 minutes they got a corner and the ball squirmed through a myriad of legs before being tapped home at the back post. It was a bad goal for Midleton A to concede. The pressure continued but Midleton A defended very well and it took an opportunistic lob from 20 yards after a cleared corner on 45 minutes to beat the keeper. The fourth goal came on 60 minutes as a result of a high cross that was dropped by the keeper and toe poked into the net from 2 yards. Throughout the match Midleton A worked tirelessly as a team and deserved more from the match. Discounting a couple of soft goals conceded it was a good overall performance and one that will stand them in good stead in their next league match. Report by Colm Smyth.

Leaguer away to Corkbeg in Whitegate on Saturday 17th September Corkbeg 2 Midleton A 3Midleton A Hold Firm to Win Against Corkbeg This local derby proved to be an excellent game and after a loss in their first match the Midleton ‘A’ lads had something to prove and they did it in style.

With a perfect pitch to play on Midleton ‘A’ started the game brightly and a five man midfield, with Kevin Mulcahy and Barry Kenneally working hard to give possession to Conor Meade who used the ball effectively getting both Cian Walsh and David Jalil on both wings into the game early.

The Midleton ‘A’ defence where holding a tight formation at the back forcing Corkbeg out wide and the back four of Dylan Wright; Patrick Horgan, Cillian Brouder and Eolann Shanahan made easy work of the Corkbeg attack.

After 10 minutes the Midleton ‘A’ pressure set Cian Walsh free on the right and he played an excellent pass to Barry Kenneally who after a good piece of work on the edge of the box played a low cross that was met with perfect timing by Cameron Smyth who was playing as a lone striker and he slotted it home passed the advancing keeper. It was a well deserved lead.

This gave the Midleton ‘A’ lads a lot of confidence and they dominated the Midfield. On the 15 minute mark a series of 1-2s between Meade, Kenneally and Walsh opened up the defence and a neat pass by Walsh to Smyth put him through and after holding off a strong challenge from the defender, he found the corner of the net with a great finish.

At this point Corkbeg lifted their game and started to explore the wings as the centre halves for Midleton ‘A’ were unbeatable. This paid off after 19min with a strong run down the right finished with a low shot that was parried by Conor White in the Midleton ‘A’ goal only to fall to a Corkbeg player who had a simple finish from 6 yards to make it 1-2.

The next 10mins showed a more even contest and it took another great run from Smyth who had pulled out to the right to pick up the ball and then took on the right full back and used his strength and speed to break through the defence. He slipped a pass through to Kenneally who blasted into the roof of the net from 10 yards. With two goals to his name and an assist, Smyth was having a great game and Corkbeg were struggling to deal with his pace and strength.

After the half-time break it was Corkbeg who showed the greater intensity and Midleton ‘A’ were forced to defend deep and in numbers to with-stand the attacks. Eventually after 50 minutes Corkbeg did get the break through. With the Midleton ‘A’ defence standing firm, Corkbeg had to shoot from distance and it was one of these shots from just outside the right edge of the 18 yard box that looped over White and the game was now 2-3 to Midleton with 20 minutes to go.

At this point the legs were getting tired on the Midleton ‘A’ team and both Owen Cashman and Dylan Hallinan came on into the midfield to give some cover for the defence. This proved to be effective and with continued good work from Kenneally and Mulcahy, the midfield started to fight again for possession and take the pressure of the defence. The rest of the game pulsated from end to end without and clear chances and Midleton ‘A’ held on for a well deserved victory. Report by Colm Smyth.

Goal Scorers: Cameron Smyth 2, Barry Kenneally.

League at home to Leeds on Sunday 4th Septmeber Midleton A 3 Leeds 5 Midleton A lose out to strong Leeds team Midleton ‘A’ played a fine first half against a strong Leeds team but a high wind and some excellent work by Leeds gave them the edge.

With a strong wind blowing from end to end this game was always going to decided by which defence could cope better. Unfortunately, the Midleton ‘A’ team struggled in the final 20 minutes and Leeds took full advantage.

The game started well and good work from both Kevin Daly and Cian Walsh on the wings put Leeds under immense pressure. After only 6 minutes, Walsh received a great ball from Cameron Smyth and his low shot found the far corner of the net after a mistake from the Leeds keeper.

This gave Midleton ‘A’ a lift and they pushed hard for a second with good work in Midfield from Conor Evans and Conor Meade. The second eventually came on the 17th minute when Walsh again picked up the ball on the right and a speculative shot drifted in to the far right corner of the net. It was well deserved and Walsh was playing well on the wing.

What should have been a foundation for a strong performance was quickly shattered when Leeds broke from the restart and a through ball was finished well against Conor White in the Midleton ‘A’ goal. This gave Leeds the kick start they needed and it was only some find keeping from White that kept the score at 2-1 at half time.

With the wind behind them Leeds started the second half with purpose and immediately put Midleton ‘A’ under pressure and with the ball bouncing around the box it was Leeds who stabbed it in from 6 yards to make it 2-2. Midleton ‘A’ lifted their game after this and for the next 10 minutes both teams were evenly matched. On the 44th minute more good work from Walsh on the right led to a high cross into the Leeds box and when the keeper fumbled, Barry Kenneally was on hand to toe poke the ball into the net and restore the advantage.

It was at this point that Leeds started to use the wind and in a 15 minute spell they scored three times. On each occasion the Midleton ‘A’ defence lost their positions and with gaps appearing, simple through balls put Leeds one-on-one with the keeper and White had no chance. With the game secure at 5-3 to Leeds the final 10 minutes passed without event and Midleton ‘A’ were left to rue some simple mistakes after what was a good first 45 minutes. Report by Colm Smyth.

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